One of the primary challengers of space missions is the reduction of payload mass which directly concerns the weight of hauling propellants from Earth's surface to outer space. One contemplated option for the reduction of payload mass is the use of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to create the bulk of the propellant required for in-space thrust at an intermediate location away from Earth's surface.
Some ISRU concepts, such as the one referenced in ‘Mining the Moon, the Gateway to Mars’, Leonard David, Nov. 10, 2004, hope to extract oxygen from the dusty lunar soil which would require the acquisition of an additional material to serve as the propellant. Furthermore, oxygen extraction requires complex chemical processes that are difficult to conduct in outer space. Moreover, the equipment required to perform such a chemical extraction process adds mass, complexity, and risk to the space mission which can nullify advantages of implementing ISRU.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for an accelerator system and method that does not require expensive and massive propellant extraction equipment.